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Step 1
Lots of money is involved, so make sure you’re happy about leaving secure employment, have the resources to get you started on the farm-–like a pension or part-time self-employment--and have a clear plan about what you’re going to do with your land.
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Step 2
Be realistic about your abilities when making plans for your farm. If you plan to grow lavender for instance, and you’re afraid of snakes and spiders, forget it.
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Step 3
Make sure you have a realistic business plan. If you want to raise animals like alpacas, make sure you have the right amount of acreage to do it. If you want to grow vines, make sure the soil type and exposure is suitable.
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Step 4
Settling into hobby farm life is not about putting your feet up and taking it easy. Those who get most from the experience are ambitious, perseverant, and accomplishment-driven. Remember, if you raise animals you may be getting up at dawn every day to feed them.
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Step 5
Don’t be put off by your lack of farming experience. Hobby farmers-—usually defined as people who don’t get their incomes solely from farming-—seldom bring hands-on experience to their new lifestyle and still can make it work.
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Step 6
Moving to a hobby farm from the city is a trade off. Sure, you’ll escape city noise, crime and commutes, and your kids will have a nice place to play. However, you may instead have to deal with problematic wells, distant schools and unpaved roads. Check your prospective farms for water problems and access to essential services before you buy.
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Step 7
If you want to bring some city comforts with you, make sure you can. Not every phone system in the country can handle a high-speed Internet access for instance. If you want Internet access where you intend to buy, you may have to resign yourself to signing up for an expensive direct satellite service.
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Step 8
Get a sympathetic realtor to help you choose your new home and land. You can check out the availability of small farms with realtors in an area of countryside that you like, or you can check out the small 5 to 25 acre lots that are being parceled out by developers aware of the growing interest in the hobby farm movement.
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Step 9
Talk to other hobby farmers who’ve made the move to an area you like and see how they’re coping with the change. You should be able to contact them through your realtor or through hobby farm organizations, such as hobbyfarms.com (a link is provided in the Resources box).
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Step 10
Before you find the right hobby farm for you, make sure you will have no regrets about the change. Do not make your decision in a hurry. Consider all your reasons for making the lifestyle change and be sure you’re being realistic.
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Step 11
The more information you have about hobby farm living, the better. Before you make your move be sure you’ve read widely and checked out all the available literature on hobby farms on the Internet, in bookshops and in local libraries.
Comments
littlebluecrow said
on 7/23/2009 This article provided some really great information, and gave us a great foundation checklist to use when we start looking.
showpup said
on 3/13/2009 Good advice. I adore our hobby farm here in Michigan. I've lived in the city and they can keep it. I love being able to do as I please, enjoy the quiet sounds of nature and neighbors that are furred, finned and feathered. Our hobby farm has enriched our life with many learning experiences and opportunities to try new things. From huge gardens to milking our own goats. We love it.